Reasons Why Many Huge Age Gap Marriages End in Divorce

Thirty-five to 40 percent of marriages in America end in divorce. And that rate can increase dramatically if the spouses have a large age difference. For a 10-year age gap, the likelihood of divorce is 39 percent; a 20-year age gap, 95 percent and a 30-year age gap, 172 percent.

Some of the reasons marriages with huge age gaps end in divorce include:

1.Family acceptance (especially if there is a financial/inheritance concern)2. Question of children 3. Imbalance of power4. Blending families5. Illness/aging at different rates6. Sexual problems

“Those are things that you cannot get away from,” Dr. Phil tells his guest, David, who is 53 and about to walk down the aisle for the third time, this time with his 24-year-old girlfriend. “And the number one reason for divorce, period, is incompatibility. And when you’re 53 and 24 there’s some incompatibility.”